Some Northern Constellations Used for Navigation in Antiquity

The text analyses the myth of Arion the citharode and his miraculous deliverance. It is believed that the background of this myth is actually the use of stars from the constellation Delphinus in celestial navigation by ancient sea-farers on the maritime route from Magna Graecia to Greece. The author further analyses the myth of Apollo Delphinius, according to which the god assumed the shape of a dolphin and thus guided a Cretan ship to Delphi. Further he considers the use of stars from the constellation Corona Borealis in celestial navigation ; in this context he shortly addresses Theseus’ voyage to Crete and interprets it as an expedition to the Otherworld. Next, the author tries to reconstruct the foundation-myth of Tarentum based on Classical sources, in the context of Arion’ s dolphin-assisted voyage. Associated with this is the analysis of stories with the eponym-hero of the city, Taras, and Phalanthus the Spartan as the main protagonists. The article briefly mentions some other “ dolphin- riders” from Antiquity, namely Melicertes and Hermias. The final section discusses foundation-myths of Greek colonies in the Bay of Naples, again in the context of celestial navigation and open-sea voyages.